Coronavirus

[Craig Arko]

I wish all of you and your families good health.

[twinsnorth49]

 

Take a look at Italy. Reuters reports that there are now 463 people dead and 9172 cases. Based on those numbers alone, that would mean more than 5% of those diagnosed have succumbed to the virus in Italy. It’s quite a jump from Sunday when the death toll stood at 366 and on Saturday when it was 233.

Which will fall equally dramatically when testing becomes more widespread and vigorous. 25% of Italy's population is over the age of 65, the second oldest behind Japan. I don't think those numbers are all that different from the early stages on in Wuhan when most diagnosed cases were the most severely affected. 

 

Contrast it To South Korea, who has had 7478 diagnosed cases and 53 deaths. A considerable difference to say the least. 

 

Most experts agree at this point that a 3.5% death rate isn't an accurate reflection and is likely more in the 1% range. That of course is a broad, simple number and part of what bothers me regarding the reporting of all of this. 

[Vanimal46]

My company just sent a global wide email to work from home until further notice. And I have to cancel all planned business trips for the next month. Corporations are being extra cautious that’s for sure.

[Vanimal46]

I couldn't agree more with this statement. Can you imagine if they covered automobile fatalities with the same vigor?

Or the biggest killer of all, heart disease. Yet we get ads on a daily basis to try the double bacon cheeseburger with large fries and don’t forget the gallon of coke.

[twinsnorth49]

My company just sent a global wide email to work from home until further notice. And I have to cancel all planned business trips for the next month. Corporations are being extra cautious that’s for sure.

Planned business trips where? In the US? That’s insane.

[Mr. Brooks]

I’m with you, North. We have survived much worse since pandemics in the past. But, because it’s so mysterious, the media is freaking out. Which makes the average Joe freak out.

 

This can continue for a while longer, honestly. Airfares are dirt cheap right now! Just booked a flight to California in April and it’s half the cost I normally pay.

Yeah, people die from this. But that's all worth it if it means cheaper airfare.

[Vanimal46]

Planned business trips where? In the US? That’s insane.

For me just domestic from TX to the Southeast US. I’m sure there will be exceptions for more important people who deliver on the services that the customer purchased... I’m just an ant in the farm!

[Vanimal46]

Yeah, people die from this. But that's all worth it if it means cheaper airfare.

Yep. You can have the moral high ground here, Mr. Brooks. Avian flu was going to kill tons of people. Mad Cow Disease. Swine flu. SARS. H1N1. People die every day from something. This hasn’t reached a level yet where I’m concerned.

[PseudoSABR]

 

Most experts agree at this point that a 3.5% death rate isn't an accurate reflection and is likely more in the 1% range. That of course is a broad, simple number and part of what bothers me regarding the reporting of all of this. 

Whether one percent or three and half percent, that death rate is very significant.  Sure *you* may not be negatively impacted (yet).  But any community population with vulnerable people in close quarters, whether schools, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and a variety of businesses, prudence is key, and the seriousness needs to be communicated so people actually do **** like wash their hands.   

 

And we really don't know how many cases, because of the lack of testing-kits. 

 

Sure there's an outsized response to this particular pandemic especially on social media, but the backlash to the response seems even more ignorant.

[gunnarthor]

I'm honestly surprised people can say they aren't concerned. The virus has disrupted pretty much everything - travel, economy, politics, international relations. While most of us won't get the virus, all of us are going to be negatively impacted by it.

 

I'm by far more concerned with how this harms my retirement accounts and long term funding for my non profit job.

[Mr. Brooks]

Yep. You can have the moral high ground here, Mr. Brooks. Avian flu was going to kill tons of people. Mad Cow Disease. Swine flu. SARS. H1N1. People die every day from something. This hasn’t reached a level yet where I’m concerned.

Yes, a lot of things kill people every day. But must people don't actively root for those things to happen so that we can benefit financially from them.

[MMMordabito]

Sure there's an outsized response to this particular pandemic especially on social media, but the backlash to the response seems even more ignorant.

Even more ignorant than someone who spends her time trying to reinvent tofu deeming herself an authority and claiming that there won't be a hospital bed available in the US by May 8.

[PseudoSABR]

 

Even more ignorant than someone who spends her time trying to reinvent tofu deeming herself an authority and claiming that there won't be a hospital bed available in the US by May 8.

At least she showed her math, and stated her presumptions (which we can disagree with her on).  The larger point is that if we are going to be concerned about something practical, the capacity of our healthcare system is worthy of our scrutiny.    

 

(And the "someone who spends her time trying to reinvent tofu deeming herself an authority" angle was totally unnecessary to your point, and overtly divisive and diminishing.  I think we can avoid such approaches if we want to keep this thread open.) 

Edited March 10, 2020 by PseudoSABR

[Vanimal46]

Yes, a lot of things kill people every day. But must people don't actively root for those things to happen so that we can benefit financially from them.

Alright, you’re taking this more seriously than I am. Out of respect to keep a thread like this open, I’ll bow out of joking about this topic until more information is known.

 

I hope you’ve read my posts on multiple thread topics over the years to know I don’t root for death to happen.

[twinsnorth49]

 

Whether one percent or three and half percent, that death rate is very significant.  Sure *you* may not be negatively impacted (yet).  But any community population with vulnerable people in close quarters, whether schools, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and a variety of businesses, prudence is key, and the seriousness needs to be communicated so people actually do **** like wash their hands.   

 

And we really don't know how many cases, because of the lack of testing-kits. 

 

Sure there's an outsized response to this particular pandemic especially on social media, but the backlash to the response seems even more ignorant.

Completely disagree with that assessment. The ignorance going around about this in the media is irresponsible imo. 

Also, your first paragraph isn't anything I haven't already said, at least when it comes to vulnerable people, especially in close quarters. Your grandstanding response is typical of how issues like this cause anxiety among people. 

 

This is big news right now, with a lot of viewers tuning in, it's being exploited. 

[MMMordabito]

 

At least she showed her math, and stated her presumptions (which we can disagree with her on).  The larger point is that if we are going to be concerned about something practical, the capacity of our healthcare system is worthy of our scrutiny.    

 

(And the "someone who spends her time trying to reinvent tofu deeming herself an authority" angle was totally unnecessary to your point, and overtly divisive and diminishing.  I think we can avoid such approaches if we want to keep this thread open.) 

 

You sound like my boss defending a POS co-worker of mine.  "At least she comes to work with a smile!"

 

... And all of my response had everything to do with my point.  If you can't see that, then you're more interested in defending reputation and virtue than you are holding people accountable for distributing poorly-formulated information that does nothing but cause panic to following readers.

 

Ms Specht likely gained her social media following due to her expertise in plant-based food alternatives. Now she's pulling a modified bait-and-switch and presenting herself as an authority on epidemics and viruses.  The only thing she has accomplished is giving people like Craig Arko increased levels of anxiety. I'm not sure why you would want to defend her.

[gunnarthor]

Let's see, where are we now? According to the Wall St Journal, the epidemic is up to 1000 cases in the US, although the real number will be much higher. NY has put up a containment area around a cluster area of 100+ cases. Testing in the US is still horrific. The virus is burning through Italy and Germany. Stocks crater on virus fears. 

 

Stupid media.

 

 

[gunnarthor]

This is not a happy read about the failure of properly testing.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/us/coronavirus-testing-delays.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

[MMMordabito]

And so it begins .....

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/03/coronavirus-response-will-require-mlb-schedule-changes.html

[PseudoSABR]

 

You sound like my boss defending a POS co-worker of mine.  "At least she comes to work with a smile!"

 

... And all of my response had everything to do with my point.  If you can't see that, then you're more interested in defending reputation and virtue than you are holding people accountable for distributing poorly-formulated information that does nothing but cause panic to following readers.

 

Ms Specht likely gained her social media following due to her expertise in plant-based food alternatives. Now she's pulling a modified bait-and-switch and presenting herself as an authority on epidemics and viruses.  The only thing she has accomplished is giving people like Craig Arko increased levels of anxiety. I'm not sure why you would want to defend her.

The whole shut-up and eat tofu is a bad look. Dr. Specht actually just published the analysis on statnews.com  

 

But I'll concede your expertise on POSs.  

Edited March 12, 2020 by PseudoSABR

[gunnarthor]

Man, things continue to get bad - NBA cancelled, no flights to Europe (insanity), 1200 cases now. Tom Hanks infected.

 

Stupid media.

[twinsnorth49]

Man, things continue to get bad - NBA cancelled, no flights to Europe (insanity), 1200 cases now. Tom Hanks infected.

 

Stupid media.

Yep

[Riverbrian]

Blaming the media is basically blaming us, Our media formed by how we consume it.

If they don’t lead with the virus... they lose viewers, if they don’t punch up the copy with sensational adjectives like “deadly” “sweeping” “bloody” or “horrific” we don’t stick through the commercial break. If we don’t stick through the commercial break, they don’t survive.

We shape the product... blaming what we built is rather pointless. The National Enquirer isn’t a non profit, people buy the National Enquirer, because they can't walk past the headline "His Cheating Photos". They buy it, they go home and choose the news presentation that fits their viewpoints and then they vote. 

I keep grains of salt near me.  

 

I try to pay attention to the people who are supposed to pay attention.

As far as I can tell... those people seem to be quite serious about it.

Therefore, my opinion is to take it seriously. I won’t change my life too much, if at all but I’m not going to question the protective measures being taken.

And for those who are selling hand sanitizer on EBAY after cleaning out Walmart.

Kudo’s for the foresight and your contribution to the panic buy, but I’m putting you in the same classification as the group of people who called my work cell phone telling me that my car warranty has expired.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Scary but reasons to be hopeful.

 

Jeremy Olson, Star Tribune:

 

“The five positive cases were identified out of 222 COVID-19 tests, including roughly 100 that the state's public health lab processed just Tuesday. Once people have tested positive, Ehresmann said, they have complied with isolation orders and received support from county public health workers to remain comfortably at home.

 

The fourth and fifth cases were discovered through testing Tuesday and involved a Ramsey County resident in the 30s age range, and the Olmsted patient in the 50s age range. Both are recovering.”...

 

http://m.startribune.com/minnesota-s-fourth-covid-19-case-confirmed/568704992/

 

The Strib appears to be making its local COVID-19 coverage open access, so good on them.

[stringer bell]

I have been to two exhibition baseball games the last two days and have been around a lot of people. I don’t want to get sick and I don’t want to die. Does that make me stay in my room and not enjoy 85 degree weather? No, but I’m trying to do the right things.

 

The idea of limiting the spread of this virus so that there are enough resources to deal with it has resonated with me. Slowing the acceleration of cases is the best thing until an effective vaccine can be processed.

 

There are real costs and real losses going on.

[Vanimal46]

https://twitter.com/melmcintire/status/1238122759496118279?s=21

 

If you want to get a test, bring your W-2s from the last 4 calendar years. Maybe that will help...

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I feel our public officials should be telling us: Be smart. Take precautions. Take this seriously. It’s ok to stay home for a while. We’re here for you.

 

Instead of cancelling social life for us, and all the panic and effects of that.

 

Sure it’s more complicated than that, but that’s the essence of it for me.

[Squirrel]

 

I feel our public officials should be telling us: Be smart. Take precautions. Take this seriously. It’s ok to stay home for a while. We’re here for you.

Instead of cancelling social life for us, and all the panic and effects of that.

Sure it’s more complicated than that, but that’s the essence of it for me.

 

I feel our public officials should be more forthcoming about everything, and aren't. And yes, telling us to take precautions, etc ... but haven't they done that already? But taking care of us? No, they aren't doing that ... loss of income, medical coverage for everyone, testing, etc. My contract has wording in it to the effect that if my work is suspended, they don't have to pay me. To slow the rate of infection, at this stage, will take more than precautions, and our medical system is not set up to handle it and we haven't been told how we will be covered, if we will be, financially. Maybe it's a 'sorry ... you're on your own.' And maybe this will be a lot of nothing. And I'm not going to worry about until it's a 'thing' and I will be fine ... but a lot of people, if this is a 'thing', they won't be fortunate.

[howeda7]

 

The overreaction to this and the fear being stoked by the media is absurd. This flu will not effect the vast, vast majority of people or threaten the lives of the vast majority of people who do contract it.

Everyone needs to calm the hell down.

While I agree that panic never helps, this is clearly much more contagious and deadly than a regular flu. Even if estimates of 50% of the population contracting it are double the reality, it's still a massive amount of people and the recovery time is slow.

[Squirrel]

Okay ... out of work for 30 days ... technically, according to our contract, they don't have to pay us, but no announcement yet that they won't ... or at least might give us something.